Overview:

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is the first comprehensive and authoritative collection of classic design objects. This beautifully illustrated three-volume set of books presents 999 industrially manufactured products, carefully selected by a group of experts. It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail. From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before. PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS tells the story of design’s evolution around the world from the late 1600's to the present, bringing together patents, prototypes, old advertisements, original drawings, images showing the process of manufacturing, as well as rare archival photographs. The anthology features an astonishing 4,000 images. The objects are presented chronologically, beginning with an elegant pair of Chinese bonsai scissors from the early 1600s, still in production today, and ending with Barber Osgerby’s Lunar bath accessories, destined to become a classic. Glancing through the volumes, the reader will gain an understanding not only of the history of design, but a history of taste and culture. The book is an extraordinary journey through the objects that have shaped our society, from the first attempts to combine function and beauty in the nineteenth century, through the machine aesthetics of the thirties, the advent of plastic and other new materials in the fifties and sixties, up to the classics-to-be of the last ten years. The book includes not only objects created by internationally renowned designers, such as Breuer, Le Corbusier, Dreyfuss, Eames, Yanagi and Castiglioni, but also anonymously designed pieces, such as the clothes peg, the corkscrew and the chopstick, which, in spite of lacking a specific designer, have achieved such perfection in design and functionality that they have eliminated the possibility of improvement. PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is a laboriously selected examination of some of the world’s best products ever made, most of which are still in production. The objects truly encapsulate what design is and what it will be for decades to come. It is a key reference tool for the designer or architect, as well as a fascinating and accessible design history for the newcomer. The collection comes in a specifically commissioned carrying unit exclusively designed by Konstantin Gricic.

Synopsis:

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is the first comprehensive and authoritative collection of classic design objects. This beautifully illustrated three-volume set of books presents 999 industrially manufactured products, carefully selected by a group of experts. It is the first definitive illustrated sourcebook on the evolution of design to include such a wide scope of objects in detail.

From cars to furniture, from tableware to cameras, from everyday objects to airplanes, this breadth of design has never before been collected in such a way before. PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS tells the story of design s evolution around the world from the late 1600's to the present, bringing together patents, prototypes, old advertisements, original drawings, images showing the process of manufacturing, as well as rare archival photographs. The anthology features an astonishing 4,000 images.

The objects are presented chronologically, beginning with an elegant pair of Chinese bonsai scissors from the early 1600s, still in production today, and ending with Barber Osgerby s Lunar bath accessories, destined to become a classic. Glancing through the volumes, the reader will gain an understanding not only of the history of design, but a history of taste and culture. The book is an extraordinary journey through the objects that have shaped our society, from the first attempts to combine function and beauty in the nineteenth century, through the machine aesthetics of the thirties, the advent of plastic and other new materials in the fifties and sixties, up to the classics-to-be of the last ten years.

The book includes not only objects created by internationally renowned designers, such as Breuer, Le Corbusier, Dreyfuss, Eames, Yanagi and Castiglioni, but also anonymously designed pieces, such as the clothes peg, the corkscrew and the chopstick, which, in spite of lacking a specific designer, have achieved such perfection in design and functionality that they have eliminated the possibility of improvement.

PHAIDON DESIGN CLASSICS is a laboriously selected examination of some of the world s best products ever made, most of which are still in production. The objects truly encapsulate what design is and what it will be for decades to come. It is a key reference tool for the designer or architect, as well as a fascinating and accessible design history for the newcomer.

The collection comes in a specifically commissioned carrying unit exclusively designed by Konstantin Gricic.

Library Journal

"Educational and entertaining" best describes this romp through the annals of classic international product design. The 999 "best of the best" entries were determined by a host of design and related professionals utilizing the basic premises of aesthetic value and timeless quality, with each item having to meet at least one of the four fundamental criteria set forth by the editors. The font size varies from entry to entry, and the layout ranges from eye-catching to difficult to read. The three-volume set is jam-packed with images of automobiles and airplanes, household products, appliances and utensils, furniture, toys, and more, arranged chronologically by date of invention or creation, from household scissors (# 001, China, 1663) to Lunar bathroom products (#999, Germany, 2004). A brief provenance is given for each item, including names, inventor or creator, and manufacturer, along with dates of production. A chronology and multiple indexes for products, designers, categories, and authors of product texts are replicated in each volume. At 18 pounds, including a carrying devise, this massive set is hardly portable. While the carrier seemingly does the trick, why anyone would want to lug this set around is a mystery. While this set is fun to browse, a CD-ROM version would have been more useful for today's practical library users. Recommended for libraries specializing in design fundamentals. Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Libs., Johnson City Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

From Barnes & Noble

One of the leading publishers of spectacular art books, Phaidon Press has outdone itself with this sumptuous three-volume paean to classic design. Here is an eye-popping visual tour of some of the most splendidly utilitarian products ever manufactured -- from cars, furniture, and accessories for home and office to many other objects we use every day. Nearly 4,000 images display to perfection 999 startlingly innovative objects. Round it off to an even 1,000 if you include the packaging -- a clever Konstantian Gricic?designed carrying unit that's a bona fide art object in and of itself.

Library Journal

"Educational and entertaining" best describes this romp through the annals of classic international product design. The 999 "best of the best" entries were determined by a host of design and related professionals utilizing the basic premises of aesthetic value and timeless quality, with each item having to meet at least one of the four fundamental criteria set forth by the editors. The font size varies from entry to entry, and the layout ranges from eye-catching to difficult to read. The three-volume set is jam-packed with images of automobiles and airplanes, household products, appliances and utensils, furniture, toys, and more, arranged chronologically by date of invention or creation, from household scissors (# 001, China, 1663) to Lunar bathroom products (#999, Germany, 2004). A brief provenance is given for each item, including names, inventor or creator, and manufacturer, along with dates of production. A chronology and multiple indexes for products, designers, categories, and authors of product texts are replicated in each volume. At 18 pounds, including a carrying devise, this massive set is hardly portable. While the carrier seemingly does the trick, why anyone would want to lug this set around is a mystery. While this set is fun to browse, a CD-ROM version would have been more useful for today's practical library users. Recommended for libraries specializing in design fundamentals. Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ. Libs., Johnson City Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.